Twin Souls
by GeezerWench
Summary: Years after fleeing disappointments and deep sadness in La Push, twins Rebecca and Rachel Black return—their primary intent a short visit to reconnect with each other. World-altering changes, and their quick brush with the Quileute Spirit Warriors, could shatter their worlds. Rachel and Rebecca Black. Paul Lahote. Rated M for language. Written for 2014 Tricky Raven Silent Auction.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

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**A/N:** Written for Tricky Raven's 2nd Annual Author/Artist Silent Auction. Though I was quaking in my shoes, after bidding obscene and exorbitant amounts of money to win my services, **bmitw** gave me the most intriguing prompt. I was a little stupefied for a bit. Quite a challenging prompt!

I won _her_ in the Tricky Raven's First Annual Author/Artist Silent Auction in 2013. She wrote _Mouthwatering_ for me! It's a Paul / Bella. Go check it out.

Using the movie descriptions of the wolves in most cases.

Wolf mental voices in italics.

Bookcover by SPRSPR's Digital Art and me.

"Face Down" by Alpha Rev, from the album _New Morning_ was helpful.

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**Twin Souls**

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Sam's coffee mug shattered as it hit the floor of his back porch.

"Who the hell _is_ that?" Jared managed to set his mug down on the little wooden side table before jumping to his feet. He knew Emily bought those mugs from a local potter and she loved them.

All Sam had wanted was a couple hours of peace and quiet, and several pots of strong coffee, before he had to go to work. After the absolute chaos of the night before at the Clearwater's house, all he had really wanted was to curl up with his imprint and sleep for a week, but he had obligations and bills to pay.

He also had a duty to his pack.

Sam's fingers raked through his close-cropped hair. "I don't know. I don't recognize the howl." He turned toward the screen door leading to the kitchen and saw his imprint there, a worried look on her face.

Emily's hands were knotted in the red and white striped dish towel. "I heard the howl. What's wrong? Do you think somebody spotted a vampire?"

Sam pulled open the screen door, gripped Emily's hands in both of his, leaned forward to press his cheek to hers, and quickly kissed her soft lips. "It's a new wolf. Somebody else has phased. I gotta go."

"_Another_ wolf?" Tears welled up in Emily's cinnamon brown eyes. "Who could it be? We've done the genealogies … Leah and all the boys—"

"I have no idea, baby. Thank you for breakfast." He kissed her again; grateful she had stayed up and had food ready for him when he had gotten back from Sue Clearwater's house. He might not get another meal for a while. He might not get any sleep for a while either. "Embry and Collin are on patrol. Jared, you're with me. Uh, Em, call the Markhams for me and tell them … tell them one of the kitchen cabinets I was going to install is damaged, and I have to get another. I'll be at their job site tomorrow. Maybe."

They had really needed the work, and the paycheck, that remodeling job brought them. It would just take a little longer.

"What about Paul?"

"Paul. Shit. Shit. Shit." Sam stepped back, propping open the screen door with his foot, and peeled his navy T-shirt off over his head. Emily reached for it and held it to her chest. "Call him and tell him to get the replacement windows over to the Markhams' place and set them in their garage. Remind him about what I told him." Sam quickly untied his work boots and toed them off. "I'll try and be back later so we can go talk to Billy and Rebecca again."

"Please be careful, Sam. I love you." She handed him two pairs of shorts fresh from the nearby dryer.

Sam dropped his worn jeans to the floor, stepped out of them and wrapped the shorts around his ankle with a small bungee cord. He wished, not for the first time, there was a better way to carry clothes around. "We'll be careful. It's not the first new wolf we've dealt with."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

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**Twin Souls**

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As they raced through the forest toward the hysterically confused wolf, Sam glanced with alarm at his brown-furred second.

Jared's tawny eyes met his Alpha's. _Not another one! What the hell is going on?_

Sam snorted through his long black muzzle and leapt a fallen tree. _I don't know, but we have to get to her before she hurts herself or somebody else. She'd tear Collin to pieces._

Embry's voice broke through the new wolf's screaming that blasted through the shared pack-mind. _We see her, Sam. She's in a gully._

_I see. Don't get too close. Almost there. _

Sam and Jared both winced at the cacophony of terror they heard in their minds and the agony-filled high pitched yips and cries from their newest pack member.

They caught Embry's and Collin's scents and skidded to a stop at the east edge of a deep gully. Across from them were Embry and the smaller wolf. They were lying next to a large boulder and peering down into the ravine.

Collin tore his eyes away from the wailing creature below them and looked to his pack leader. _She looks just like Jacob._

_No. Look._ Jared poked Sam's shoulder with his snout, his mental voice a whisper. _She's smaller than Jacob and she's got black points on her ears. _

Sam took a moment to study the whimpering, gasping wolf lying in the mud at the bottom of the gully and saw immediately that Jared was right. Even through the muck, bits of leaves, and pine needles matted in her fur, he could see she was the same fox-like red as Jacob's wolf except for the black points on her ears and tip of her tail. Her lower legs and feet were a creamy vanilla.

Rachel Black's attractive markings aside, Sam dipped his head toward his second. For a moment, cold dread gripped his heart with icy fingers. Whatever had happened back at their Chief's house had happened, and there wasn't anything he could do about it right then. He had a terrified wolf in front of him that needed him. _We're going to have to call and see if Billy and Rebecca are all right. Collin, head back to my place and tell Emily. As soon as you find out, phase and let me know. _Sam sighed wearily._ Jared, go to the north end of the ravine. Embry, stay on that side. I'll head down._

_Oh, God! What are these voices in my head!?_ The female wolf struggled to sit up, threw her head back, and let loose with a long, quavering howl. _I'm a dog! I'm howling like a dog!_

_Rachel! Stop! You're not a dog. You're a wolf._

Spotting movement in front of her, Rachel leapt to her four paws to face the wolf slinking toward her. At the sight of the gigantic black animal, her pale amber eyes flew open, and she tried to scramble backwards away from him. _Oh, shit! It's a wolf!_ She reared up, spun on her hind feet, and bolted, crashing into the broad trunk of a pine tree. Yelping in pain, she fell away from the fir and sprawled on her back. She clawed frantically at the air until she fumbled her way to her side and then to her belly.

When he was about thirty feet away from her, Sam drew himself up to his full, majestic height. _Rachel. Stop, _he commanded. _Listen to me. I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you._

Rachel dropped, her head flopped to the ground between her front paws, and cried piteously. _How can you help me when I've gone crazy and think I'm a dog? There's a giant wolf in front of me. Who are you? Why are you in my head?_

_I'm Sam Uley—the giant black wolf. The wolf up on the west side is Embry Call. The wolf on the north end of the gully is Jared Cameron._ Sam lowered his head a little and took a slow step toward her. _The quick and dirty answer is all the legends we've heard since we were kids about Taha Aki and the Spirit Warriors are true. When Cold Ones come into the area, certain men … uh, _**people**_ of the correct bloodlines turn into wolves to protect the tribe and our territory._

_What? Bloodlines?_

_You're a Black. You're great grandfather Ephraim Black was—_

_All those bullshit fairytales are true?_ Rachel lifted her head and shook it. _But only _**men**_ are wolves in the legends. Jacob? I look like Jacob? But I thought Jacob ran away over some stupid girl or something. Idiot._

There was the more caustic Rachel they all knew and loved.

_Is Jacob a wolf, too?_ Rachel dropped her head to the ground again and covered her face with a paw. _No way!_ _I'd rather believe I was insane than that everybody turns into wolves when Cold Ones … _she trailed off. Her head jerked up. _Cold Ones? They're real too? Aren't they like …Why the hell can't I get up off the ground?_

_Because I'm the Alpha of the current pack and I ordered you to stop._ Sam sighed resignedly, his head sagging. He heard a quiet huff from Embry, and behind Rachel, up at the north end of the gully, he could see Jared shifting around to sniff the air, keeping guard. What he saw of the sky through the trees was finally beginning to lighten. _Rachel, do you remember where you were when you phased into a wolf? Your father and sister?_

_I … I was in the back yard. They're at the house. I guess._

_Tell me what happened. You didn't go over to the Clearwater's …_ Sam said, urging her to talk.

_Yeah, I didn't go over to the Clearwater's last night because I didn't want to see Leah. Jacob had said … never mind. Anyway, I stayed home. Watched some TV and went to bed. A while later, it must have been like two or three o'clock in the morning, I thought I heard Becca crying. I got up and found her on the back porch. She said she was over at Sue's with Dad, and Paul Lahote walked in, and then he was all over her._ Rachel started to growl and her lips drew up, exposing her bright white fangs. _He knows goddamn well she's married to Sol. _Rachel lurched to her feet.

Her legs were trembling with the strain to hold herself up against the Alpha's order. She started growling and saliva was dripping from her teeth. _She said she told Paul to leave her alone because she's married and she's … Well, then I was getting pissed off, and Bec was getting pissed off, and we were going to go over to Paul's house and kick his—_

_She's married and what?_ Sam interrupted, taking another step forward. Rachel was obviously trying to hide something. If they were both angry enough to want to go to Paul's and beat him up, why didn't Rebecca also phase? _What? Rebecca is married and what? Tell me._

_Well, that damn Paul Lahote has a lot of balls hitting on my sister when she's married and pregnant! She only came back to visit Dad because she's been gone a long time, stupid Jacob ran off, and she won't be able to visit after she has the baby because they don't have much money and—_

The other wolves' voices pounded into Sam's head.

_That's right! They're identical twins! They should have _**both**_ phased! _Jared sat back on his haunches a little harder than he usually did.

Embry was shaking his head and pawing at his ear._ She's pregnant? She didn't tell anyone she was pregnant. That must be why she didn't phase, too!_

Collin's voice broke in. _Rebecca's pregnant? By the way, she and Billy are fine except Rebecca is freaking out because she saw Rachel fur-splode and she thought a wolf ate her. The Chief got her to stop screaming. He's wondering where Rachel is. Should I tell him?_

Brady popped in. _We got a new wolf? Who is it?_

_Oh, man!_ Seth's perpetually happy tone chimed in. _Jake's gonna be so mad at Paul!_

_Jacob?_ Leah scoffed_. I think Rebecca's husband might have a thing or two to say about it. This is has to be the worst shit to happen since we fought off all those newborn vamps because of that leech lovin' little Bella Swan._

_Another wolf girl? Sweeeet. _Quil, present and accounted for, made sure to add to the chaos.

The only one who hadn't phased in was Paul. He must have been delivering the windows like Sam had wanted him to. Well, Sam had ordered him not to phase.

Rachel's warbling howls stabbed into Sam's skull like an ice pick. He couldn't think!

_Silence!_ He roared with a bellowing growl.

After the last echoes of his thunderous command faded away, all had gone still. Even the birds and crickets had gone silent.

Sam pulled in a deep breath, hoping the tangy perfume of the pines, the briny sea, and the familiar, comforting scent of the moist earth would calm him and help him help his newest pack-mate, and deal with the fact that Paul Lahote had imprinted on her married and _pregnant_ sister Rebecca.

For just a moment, he was glad that the girls' younger brother Jacob wasn't around, and was far enough away, that he couldn't hear, or join in on, the utter pandemonium that was currently their lives.

Was Rebecca being pregnant the reason he didn't have _two_ new wolves to deal with?

Sam focused his golden gaze on Rachel's angry eyes. _Rachel, you will be quiet and listen to me. There's a lot to explain. I hope you remember the legends—it helps._

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

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**Twin Souls**

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A couple hours later, Sam stretched his neck up toward the branches above them, flexed his shoulders, and groaned. He longed for a hot shower to help ease the rigid tension he felt all over his body, but as long as Rachel was in her wolf form, he would be, too.

In the meantime, Leah had brought some clothes for Rachel since the shorts Sam had brought wouldn't fit and wouldn't cover enough when she did finally phase back to human. In Sam's defense, he had been expecting it to be another male wolf.

Jared and Seth had gone out on patrol, and Collin and Brady had gone to school even though they had tried to talk Sam into letting them stay in their wolf forms so they could hear everything that went on. He was glad he had ordered Paul not to phase until he had spoken to him again.

His eyes swept around the rim of the gully, taking in Embry's curious look and Leah's surprisingly unruffled countenance. When his gaze returned to Rachel, he cocked his head and chuffed at her. _Rachel, that's pretty much the gist of it all. I'm sure you have questions. You may speak._

_Well, fuck you very much, your High-Alpha-ness._ Her lips peeled back from her teeth again as she snapped in his direction. _I _**knew**_ I should have never come back here! I only came to see my sister because how often has she visited since moving to Hawaii? Never! That's how often._ Rachel snarled and was on her feet, pacing back and forth in front of Sam. _As soon as we could, we got the hell out of this dump, and we should have stayed away. This place isn't blessed by the gods, it's cursed!_

Unfortunately, Sam recalled thinking the same way when he had first phased into one of the Spirit Wolves. He'd come to feel differently, but it had taken some time. _Rachel, it's not cursed, we've been chosen to perform a sacred—_

_Perform a sacred _**duty**_? Chosen? Bullshit!_ Rachel barked and changed her direction, walking stiffly in a wide circle, grumbling and groaning, her eyes darting between the wolves above her. _You weren't specially chosen. You said it was the wolf gene, passed down through the bloodlines. How fucking hard is it to pass down your genes? So how the hell did Embry end up as a wolf? He's not even a Quileute!_

Sam looked up at Embry anxiously. _We don't know._

_Don't know? Don't _**know**_!? DNA—ever hear of it?_

_We can't have our DNA tested. The technicians would see it's different and—_

_Sure, sure. They can't know because we have to keep the secret_. Her biting sarcasm came through loud and clear. Rachel whipped around and growled at Sam again. _Now that I know this curse is real, I _**never**_ want to have kids if they're going to be doomed to this shit!_

Above and behind Rachel, Leah snorted loudly and jumped to her feet. _Don't worry, Rach. You won't have any. Since I phased, I haven't had a period. No period—no babies. Pretty simple._

_We don't know that for sure, Leah._ Sam raised his head to look Leah in her hardened gold eyes. _Maybe when you stop phasing—_

_Who says we'll ever be able to stop? As long as those Cullens are around, we'll _**never**_ be able to._ Leah began to stalk along the ridge, her claws digging into the soft bracken of the forest floor. _They're still around because of that Bella Swan. She's supposed to be marrying that leech of hers! _

_What the fuck?_ Rachel spun around and stared up at Leah, her mouth hanging open.

_I know, right?_ The light grey wolf stopped at the edge of the gully, cocked her head, and peered down at Rachel. _And I think it's that Swan girl's fault more of us kept phasing. She had that bloodsucker stink on her and kept coming over here to see Jacob. Why the hell he wanted to imprint on her so bad …_

Sam dropped his head and let out a rumbling moan. If he was in his human form, he'd be holding his aching head in his hands.

_Imprint?_ Rachel padded toward Leah. _Bloodlines! You said bloodlines. Does this mean Becca's baby is going to turn into a wolf? Oh, my God! She needs to get the hell out of this place and _**never**_ come back!_

_Enough!_ At Sam's frustrated exclamation, Embry's head snapped up while Leah and Rachel both dropped to the ground. Sam hadn't had the chance to explain imprinting yet. Rachel, being the daughter of the Tribe's Chief, and thoroughly exposed to their legends, had seemed to accept the reality of the spirit warriors faster than some of the others. Certainly a lot faster than her brother had. But the delicate topic of a wolf's imprint hadn't been touched on. He had the definite impression she'd be even less happy to hear about that.

Sam had been hoping to get her to calm down enough to phase human. It looked like it might be a while yet and he was getting hungry.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

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**Twin Souls**

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While Sam maintained his position at the lower, southern end of the gully, Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry were spaced out around the upper edges, staring down at their new pack sister as she clawed and shredded a twenty-foot tall spruce.

It hadn't taken Rachel very long to figure out that her own father, along with Sam's and Quil's, were possible candidates as Embry's wolf-gene donor.

Making the connection, Rachel howled again and launched herself at the tree. Sam was grateful she hadn't tried to attack one of them.

As long as she didn't try to hurt any of the wolves, Sam let her snarl and turn the tree into a pile of toothpicks and kindling. He was hoping she'd wear herself out.

He was also thankful they had kept her contained in the gully.

Seth had shown up after his patrol and stationed himself on the east side. Jared had offered to contain their youngest wolves, Brady and Collin, when they got out of school, and make them do their homework. Things were being taken care of.

At last, Rachel collapsed among the pine needles, twigs, and branches, panting and whining. She lifted her head, glared at Sam, and let it drop again. _Why the hell haven't you asked any of those assholes who did it? Embry could be my brother._

Sam glanced up at Embry and Quil and back to Rachel. _He could be my brother or Quil's. My father isn't around to ask and truthfully, Rachel, there's enough shit going on, we don't need to stir up anymore. Maybe later, one day—_

Rachel snorted. _Yeah, and if Joshua Uley is his father, God knows how many other little potential pups there may be out there. He could be making litters of them!_ She coughed out a weak bark as a sharp, derisive laugh echoed in everyone's heads.

That was one of Sam's secret fears that he kept buried as deeply as possible. He would welcome the news if Embry was his real brother, but the thought of some other boy … or girl … out there, happening across a vampire and turning into a massive wolf without even some background knowledge of their legends …

The thought sent a chill down Sam's spine. His shining black fur rose in response, and he shook himself to settle it.

All the wolves were uncomfortable with that particular topic, and they shifted about uneasily.

Sam took in another lungful of the cool forest air. _We'd appreciate it if you didn't ask your father about that._

Rachel sat up. _And how are you going to stop me? Embry has a right to know who cursed him like this. Becca and I, and even Jacob, have a right to know—_

Finally, Embry spoke, his inner voice low and quiet. _I really don't give a shit about somebody who doesn't give a shit about me._

Sam sighed as his eyes lifted to the grey wolf. Embry had had to put up with a lot of scorn and ridicule throughout his life because he didn't know who his father was, and his mother wouldn't tell him. In some ways, becoming a wolf had brought him a sense of pride and worth he hadn't had before. Sam couldn't let Rachel disrupt the delicate balance they had all worked so hard to achieve._ Rachel, I order you not to._

Embry, Quil, Leah, and Seth all looked at each other with wide eyes. Sam didn't usually alpha order them very often because he thought they'd had enough choices taken away from them.

They could all feel the tension building as Rachel quivered from her head to the end of her black-tipped tail.

_Uh, hey, Rach._ The chocolate brown Quil stepped closer to the edge of the ravine. _Look, if you calm down and turn human, we could all go get something to eat. I bet you're pretty hungry by now._

_Yeah._ Seth nodded his sandy-colored head at Quil and turned to Rachel. _You might feel better if you ate something._

Rachel was still growling over being ordered not to confront her father, but a new worry took over her mind. _I don't know how to turn back into a human!_

_It's easy. Watch._ Quil backed away from the sloping edge.

As Rachel stared at him, she saw the air shimmer around the dark brown wolf and squeezed her eyes shut when she heard a sharp crack. When she opened them again, there was a naked man standing where the horse-sized wolf had been. A very tall and well-muscled man.

He bent over and pulled at something tied to his leg above his ankle. He shook out a pair of denim cut-offs and held them in front of his groin. "See, Rachel? Human Quil again, and I'm starvin'."

Rachel fell back onto her haunches and gaped at him.

The grey wolf with the darker snout walked over to the man who said he was Quil. The wolf was huge!

Quil reached back to the wolf's rear leg and grabbed something tied there.

Did they all have something tied to their legs?

The air quivered again, another crack sounded, and yet another nude man was standing at the ridge. Quil snapped open a pair of cut-off ash-grey sweatpants and handed them to the new man.

"I'm Embry. That's Seth." Embry strategically held the shorts with his right hand and pointed with his left across the expanse.

Speechless, Rachel gawked at them for another moment and turned, looking north at the grey wolf whose head was shaking back and forth.

_I'm Leah, remember? That noise you heard? We really only hear that in our heads when we're wolves. Right now, if you talk, Sam and I can hear you, but Embry, Quil, and Seth can't. We can only hear each other in our minds when we're wolves_. Leah pointed her muzzle to her left. _Look to your right. That's my little brother Seth._

Rachel looked to the east and there was another nearly naked man, holding a pair of denim shorts below his belly button.

_They all look familiar … I mean, they look like … but they're huge, and naked, and …_ Rachel stammered and looked to Leah.

_When I'm human, I'm not as big as they are, but we all grew taller and bigger before we phased. I just didn't grow as much._ Leah picked up a plastic grocery bag with her teeth to show Rachel. _I brought you some clothes—just a T-shirt and shorts._ She dropped the bag. _We haven't figured out a better way to transport clothes, so we tie them to our legs. Little bungee cords are better than strings or leather thongs. That is … if you _**have**_ clothes. Sometimes we phase with our clothes on and that rips them to shreds. We try to keep emergency stashes around the Reservation. One of the guys' T-shirts should be long enough to cover your ass, if you need it._ Even in her wolf form, Leah could smirk better than anyone except Paul. _Get used to the idea of being buck naked in front of these fools and seeing a lot of dick._

_Leah_. Sam moaned, flustered.

_You know it's true, Sam. No point in beating around the pubic bush._ Leah's cackling laugh rang through Sam's and Rachel's heads, and her muzzle opened in a wide, sharp-toothed grin. _It's not like everybody hasn't gotten a good look at my naked boobs and ass._

"From the look on Sam's face, I'd say Leah said something dirty, and we're missing it," Quil complained. "Phase back."

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

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**Twin Souls**

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The sun was setting as the group of six wolves made their way toward Sam's house. Rachel had stopped her howling and growling, and had finally admitted she was hungry and thirsty. She had also attached herself to Leah.

They had not been what anyone would consider friends when they were younger, but being the only two female wolves had created an almost instant bond between them. What surprised Sam the most was Leah didn't seem to mind at all. She had maintained a definite distance between herself and the rest of them, but she could certainly sympathize with a lot of what Rachel was dealing with and would be going through.

Sam had them stop in the woods near the yard. _I'll phase and go talk to Emily. It smells like she's been making sausage and biscuits. Maybe chicken, too. _He was practically drooling, he was so hungry. He looked back at Rachel who was standing so close to Leah their shoulders were touching. _If you can phase back, we'll go eat. You can stay here tonight. Emily …_

_Emily can stay at our house with Mom._ Leah offered. _Seth and I can stay here with you and Rachel._

Sam quickly covered his shock. _Uh, thanks, Leah. I appreciate it._ He hadn't been sure what he would do with the new wolf. He couldn't let her stay at her father's. If she became upset and phased inside the house, that would be a disaster. He didn't want her near his imprint yet, either.

_Tell me again why I can't stay at Dad's?_ Rachel tipped her furry head to the side and gazed at him with her pale gold eyes.

_New wolves are … predictably unpredictable. Often very angry and can't control themselves. I told you what happened with Emily._

Rachel took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and nodded slowly. _I understand. I wouldn't want to take a chance on hurting Becca or the baby._

Sam studied her with no small amount of suspicion. She had acquiesced a little too quickly, and she was entirely too calm for someone who had been a wolf for less than twenty-four hours. It had taken her younger brother three days to turn back into a human the first time he phased.

From what he could remember of them as children, Rachel had always been the more vocal and headstrong of the twins. He gave her a cautious nod. _You see if you can phase back to human. I'll be right back._ Sam caught the eye of each of his wolves, stepped away from them, and stiffened a bit as he felt the heat flow up his spine and saw the air shimmer around him.

He had grown used to being naked in front of them, so he tried not to let it bother him that a new girl wolf was in their midst as he pulled his shorts from his leg, yanked them up, and zipped them. He raised his hand at the pack of wolves. "I'll be back."

They all blinked at him as he turned and jogged toward the back porch, calling to Emily.

Embry padded forward. _Okay, Rachel. Try to think about what you look like as yourself, and me and the guys will turn our backs, okay? _

Rachel cocked her head the other way. _Is there anything else? Any magic words like abracadabra? Or do we use an Homorphus Charm?_

_What?_ Quil gawked at her, baffled

Seth yipped happily and poked Quil in the side with his nose. _It's from Harry Potter. It changes the animagus back to its human form. Wish we _**could**_ do that. _

Having no idea what they were talking about, Embry just shrugged. _You'll probably feel heat at the small of your back._

_Give it a shot, Rachel. We're starvin'._ Seth's tail was wagging eagerly.

_Are you guys going to explain why Jacob would _**want**_ to imprint on Charlie Swan's daughter?_ Rachel closed her eyes, lowered her head, and tried to visualize herself—her human self. She wasn't even really sure what she looked like as a wolf.

She heard three crackling snaps behind her as she felt a burning begin at the base of her spine. Or maybe it was her tail.

"When we eat," Seth said, laughing.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

* * *

**Twin Souls**

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Rachel wiggled around on the couch, put her feet up on the coffee table, and groaned. "I am _so_ full, I feel like my stomach is going to split open. I can't believe I ate six of those sausage biscuits and two bowls of soup."

Next to her, Leah leaned over and patted her arm. "Don't worry. In a few hours you'll be starving again."

"Unimaginable." Groaning again, Rachel propped her head on her hand. "The soup was good, but it seemed like there were a lot of noodles."

"Mom started adding more noodles to it after Seth and I phased. She didn't used to make it like that. Pasta is cheap and it helps to fill us up. You know how expensive groceries are." Leah clasped her hands over her stomach and stared up at the ceiling. "Before … well, before Seth and I phased, she used to make it in a six-quart pot for us and there'd be enough left for Dad …" Leah trailed off and sighed sadly.

Turning to Leah, Rachel tucked her long black hair behind her ear and wiped the sweat from her brow. Even wearing just a T-shirt and a little pair of shorts, she was hot. "I'm sorry about your Dad."

"So am I. I blame the Cullens." Leah swallowed thickly. "Anyway, now she uses a twenty-four-quart stock pot and you saw there wasn't any left. Seth used to go through a gallon of milk in three days. Now we go through more than one a day—sometimes two. Just us. Mom started mixing up powdered milk and combining it with fresh milk because it's cheaper. We're down to only about a pint of fresh milk in a gallon. It tastes a little odd, but it's not so bad if you drink it ice cold or if you cook with it." Leah scrubbed at her face. "Won't be long before you get to try the elk, deer, and bear. They're practically free. I guess I was a little spoiled because I really don't like the gamey taste, but it's not so bad in chili or spaghetti sauce and stuff. It might have been in the sausage." Leah's fist hit the couch cushion. "We go through so much food … the grocery bill … I blame the Cullens for that, too."

Rachel could feel her temper building again. She pursed her lips and pulled in long, slow breaths to keep herself as calm as possible. It seemed those couple of yoga classes she had taken were coming in handy—at least the breathing part.

She blew out a breath and spread her fingers wide to relax her hands. She was so tired, but she didn't want to succumb to sleep just yet—there were so many questions spinning through her head. With her excellent new hearing, she could hear Sam humming softly with the radio as he and Seth washed a mountain of dishes while Embry and Quil played cards. "Should we help with the dishes? I should have asked before."

"No. Sam's doing it for Emily. He'll put the kitchen back the way she likes it."

Wrinkling her nose, Rachel grumbled. "Imprinting? Soul mates? Sounds like total bullshit to me."

Leah tensed slightly, but tried to cover it with a shrug. "I agree. Prepare yourself. When you phase again, you might get a brainful of what the wolves think of their imprints. In fact, it's pretty damn hard not to. It's pretty damn disgusting, too. All the mooshy, gooey, sickly sweet … Gah. Makes me want to puke."

"Nothing against _you_, Leah, but I can see Sam and Emily, and Jared and Kim, as couples … sort of. But Jared and Kim are only sixteen! What if he knocks her up? And Quil and Claire?" Rachel couldn't suppress her shudder. "That seems just a bit … I mean … it's kind of creepy really."

Leah leaned closer and whispered, "And nothing against _you_, Rach, but be thankful Jacob's not here so you don't have to listen to that whiny crap about Bella Swan. I've wanted to slap that shit right out of his head."

They heard Quil let out a discouraged groan, and Embry was at the doorway to the living room. "It's not like that, Rachel. When we're wolves, we can all see what Quil thinks about Claire and it's like he's her big brother or favorite uncle or something. The legends say we don't age as long as we're phasing, so she'll grow up, catch up to him, and maybe—"

"Have puppies with him? A guy she thought of as her brother practically her whole life?" Rachel raised one eyebrow and tipped her head to the side. "Ya know … that doesn't make me feel a whole lot better."

Seth elbowed his way around Embry. "We don't know for sure what's going to happen. It's really hard to explain, but think of it as like when you get a dog and the dog bonds with one particular person in the family over anyone else. He's loyal and faithful and protective. He loves that one person more than anyone and will do what he can to make that person happy. The dog doesn't make the person _do_ anything; he just wants her to be safe and happy."

Leah and Rachel just stared at him in disbelief as a large hand appeared behind Seth and smacked him in the back of the head, knocking him into the living room.

Quil took up the space Seth had been occupying. "You callin' me a _dog_?"

Embry snorted and rolled his eyes. "If the tail wags."

"Hey!" Quil exclaimed as he turned to grab his friend.

"Enough!" Sam shouted, materializing behind them. "All you boys outside. We have a garden to weed. We might have some beans that are ready to pick."

"It's dark," Rachel said incredulously.

Seth grinned and tapped his cheek under his eye. "We've got that super wolfie eyesight, remember?"

They jostled and shoved each other as they made their way out the front door, and Sam paused before going through. "We'll be just out back if you need anything, okay?"

Leah flapped her hands at him, shooing him away. "We'll be fine. Get out." She crossed her arms and huffed. "That reminds me, we need to look at _our_ garden. _Everybody_ has a garden of some kind to help feed us."

"Wolfie eyesight and wolfie hearing," Rachel whispered, turning her head back and forth, listening. "Do you hear where they are?"

"Why are we whispering?"

Frowning, Rachel shoved at Leah's leg. "I think they're in the backyard."

"Yeah, the backyard. Quil and Embry are smacking each other, and Seth is laughing at them. Normal boy shit. Why?"

Holding her finger up in front of her lips, Rachel glared hotly at the other young woman. "Leah, I don't give a flying fuck about being _chosen_ by the Great Chief Taha Aki, or being a descendent of Ephraim Black, or about this bullshit _sacred duty_. As soon as I get the chance, I am _outta_ here and running as far and as fast as I can. Shit. I think I'll even have my tubes tied, too."

Leah's mouth dropped open in shock. "You … you _can't_—"

Her words were cut off by the other girl clamping her hand over her mouth. "Keep your voice down. I can, and I will. Everybody says the vampire scent burns your nose. I didn't smell anything like that when I came here. I turned into a wolf because this place has a hex on it, and I'm getting the hell out."

When Rachel finally removed her hand from her mouth, Leah hissed out, "Sam's going to hear this in my head. He'll give you an alpha order—"

"Then I'll break it. If Jacob can do it I can, too." She grabbed both of Leah's hands. "He won't hear it, if you don't think about it. I've already done that!" She shook the stunned girl's hands. "Besides, you told me Sam had ordered Jacob not to leave, but he did anyway. You guys heard him for a while and thought he was in Canada. Well, Canada is a pretty big place. You can't hear him anymore, so he must have gone far enough away." Rachel released her hands. "I want to choose my own life, _and_ I'm _not_ getting that stupid fucking tattoo. If I don't phase into a wolf, Sam can't give me an order. I left here once, I can do it again. I can get another job in Ha—" She snapped her mouth shut.

"Where? Hawaii?" Leah's deep brown eyes stared into the other young woman's. "But Rebecca—"

"Is leaving in two days. I'm going with her. If I can't get on the same flight, I'll get the next one." Rachel breathed in a steadying breath. "I _will_ see her tomorrow. Sam can't keep me away from my sister."

"But it's too dangerous."

"Bullshit. I wouldn't hurt my own twin. Dad must have told her all about the wolves by now _and_ told her to stay away from me or she would have tried to find me."

They heard angry shouting coming from the backyard. Leah leapt up from the couch and ran through the kitchen to the back door.

Startled by Leah's speed, Rachel sat in shock for a moment. Hearing a voice she didn't recognize, she hurtled over the coffee table and raced through the kitchen. Hands extended, she hit the screen door, and it flew open and slammed against the wall. She skidded to a stop on the porch.

At the back of the yard beside the garden, Sam had hold of another half-naked man's upper arms and was shaking him. "Paul! I told you I'd talk to you later."

"You know I never wanted to imprint, but I have to see her, Sam. I can't stand to be away from her anymore." Paul's head dropped into his hands, and then he gripped Sam's biceps. "She _can't_ leave!"

"Leave? Who the hell _are_ you?" Rachel was staring at the newcomer and the boys standing back away from them. She took a slow step forward, studying the man Sam was hanging onto. He looked familiar. All the boys she had seen had grown and changed so much, but they all still had a trace of their younger selves in their faces. "You're Paul Lahote. Becca told me …" She placed her foot on the first step leading down to the lawn.

"Uh, Rach, maybe you should go back in the house." Leah, standing halfway between Rachel and the two men locked together at the back of the yard, raised her hands toward the dazed young woman.

Rachel's eyes darted to Leah and back to the men. "Don't tell me what to fucking do." She took another step and pointed at Paul. "You're the one who … Becca said you wouldn't keep your hands off her, and she's _married_!"

Staring down at the ground and squeezing his eyes shut, Paul blurted, "I didn't lay a hand on her! Okay. One hand. But she slapped—"

Pausing before placing her foot on the next wooden step down, a boiling fire rippled up Rachel's spine and her shaking hands curled into fists. "You _imprinted_ on my _sister_!"

In an eruption of fur and fangs, the newest female wolf was nothing more than a red-brown streak of fury across the dewy grass.

Sam shoved Paul as hard as he could, sending him careening away from the enraged wolf and toward the tree line. "No, Rachel!"

Without giving it a second thought, Sam swung around and raised his hands toward the slavering wolf, trying to protect his pack-mate. The claws on Rachel's left front paw raked down his chest and then she hit the ground and stumbled.

It was probably the only thing that saved Sam's and Paul's lives.

Paul tumbled toward the edge of the forest and was a silver-furred wolf before he even stopped rolling.

_Stop! Rachel, stop!_ Quil and Embry bounded on four feet toward them.

The smaller sandy-colored wolf skidded to a stop beside Sam and worriedly nosed his shoulder.

Sam waved him off, his left hand covered in blood from the long gouges down his body. "Seth. It's okay. Move." Sam struggled to his feet and stood shakily, hissing at the pain.

Rachel barreled into the silver wolf, using her front paws as battering rams against Paul's chest and side, knocking him to the ground. _I'll kill you!_

_NO!_ Paul shouted. He snarled as he whipped his head around, his teeth bared to defend himself.

Another vicious snarl ripped through the reddish wolf's jaws, and just before her fangs sank into his throat, her pale yellow eyes met the deep amber of Paul's.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

* * *

**Twin Souls**

•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.• 7 •._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•

Despite the searing agony of the gashes down his chest and stomach, Sam burst into his wolf form and bellowed. _Rachel, NO!_

Then he felt it. Wondrous bewilderment flooded his mind, and he staggered back, pawing at the ground to stay upright.

He shook his head and blinked. As he took in the rusty-toned wolf sprawled across the light grey wolf's chest, in his mind he saw Paul as Rachel saw him: lustrous, grey-silver fur; thick, full ruff; swirling, liquid amber eyes—he was nearly glowing with power in the dim light from the house.

All around Sam, the four other wolves gasped and dropped heavily to their haunches, staring in amazed wonder at the pair. A satisfied rumble sounded from Quil, and Sam realized immediately what it was. Like Sam, Quil was remembering when he had imprinted on Claire.

None of the others had ever been wolves when one of them had imprinted.

Paul cautiously licked his muzzle and closed his mouth, still caught in Rachel's eyes. He blew out a quick breath and drew his head back from her. Then his eyes flew open in panic. _No!_ He rolled to his feet, knocked Rachel to the ground, and scrambled away from her. _No! This can't happen. No fuckin' way. _He threw his head back and howled his confusion. _How the hell could this happen?_

_What the hell?_ Leah asked. She stepped unsurely toward Rachel, who was lying on the ground. _I never felt anything like that before._

_Oh, damn._ Embry's head swung rapidly between Sam, Paul, and Rachel. _Paul imprinted on Rebecca and now Rachel imprinted on Paul. _

Seth took a cautious forward. _They _**are**_ twins._

_Whoa. Twins!_ Quil was nodding, a huge grin on his face.

_Shut up, Quil. _Sam and Leah growled at him.

_But how come Paul didn't imprint back on Rachel? _Seth questioned Sam, concern ringing through his tone.

_Maybe because he saw Rebecca first?_ Embry guessed.

Quil moved up between Seth and Embry. _Well, we figured Rebecca didn't phase because she's pregnant …_

_Quil!_ Sam, Leah, Embry, and Seth all shouted.

_Rebecca's pregnant?_ Paul was instantly on his feet and yowled. _Pregnant?_ He spun on his rear paws and bolted into the forest.

_Don't go!_ Rachel cried and leapt up. She was right behind him.

_Dammit, Quil!_ Sam nipped Quil's shoulder and when he turned back to start after the other two, he yelped at the stinging ache along his chest and belly. It was healing, but not fast enough. _Leah, you know they're heading for Billy's. You, Quil, and Embry block Paul the best you can. I'm right behind you._

_Sam! What the hell is going on?_ Jared's voice rang in his head. His mind was nearly inundated with a flood of images. _Oh, shit. I'm at Kim's, but I'll meet you at Billy's!_

Relieved his second had joined in, Sam thought they would need all the help they could get. He and Seth raced through the dark woods to get to Billy Black's house.

Even though his wounds were closing rapidly, Sam couldn't run quite as fast as he normally did. But Seth stayed at his left flank.

_What are we gonna do, Sam? The legends don't say anything about this!_

_I don't know, Seth. Maybe there's something in the legends, but I don't think so. I've read through most of the old journals, but none of them even mention anything like this. There were never so many wolves before and there were never any females._

When they arrived at Chief Black's house, they stopped just behind Rachel who was huddled on the ground. Paul was pacing stiffly back and forth across the yard, sniffing the air and shooting sharp glances at Billy who was in his wheel chair on the back porch. Sam noticed fresh blood on Paul's left rear leg.

Jared, Leah, and Embry stood guard directly in front of the house. Quil was off to the right. Sam groaned when he saw Brady and Collin in the shadows to the left.

_Paul, what are you doing?_ Sam stepped to the side around Rachel. _You know you can't go in the house._

_I want to see her! I know she's in there._ He snorted and abruptly stopped his agitated stride to glare at Sam._ She's pregnant! _He growled and whipped his head back and forth._ Pregnant with somebody else's baby, and she's mine!_

_Paul! Down! _Sam hit him with a reverberating Alpha tone and Paul dropped to the ground with a grunt.

The pale grey fur on Leah's back rose even higher as she snarled at Paul. _You're jealous and you're pissed! You have no right! You're lucky I only clawed your leg. Rebecca's been married for two years! The wolf is supposed to be whatever the imprint wants. Well, maybe she doesn't want to be yours! Maybe she wants to stay with her husband. She'll be leaving day after tomorrow and—_

Rachel sat up and howled, her right front paw waving weakly in the air. Her despairing cries made all the wolves whine and whimper with her. She jumped up from the ground and bolted for the forest.

_Rachel! Stop!_ Sam watched sadly as she collapsed to the ground at the base of a tree and curled up, her paw over her face. His heart was breaking for her, but he just didn't know what to do. So much had happened and he was at a complete loss. He was only twenty years old—the same age as Rachel and Rebecca. Paul was only sixteen! Sam's limited experience, and the stories and legends that were supposed to guide them, were no help at all with what they were facing. He didn't think the Tribal Elders would be able to help either. What did they know about being wolves and imprinting?

Rachel was panting; soft whines and cries being expelled with each breath. There were no clear or defined thoughts other than the image of Paul's wolf in her mind and occasional flashes of Leah's human face, her sister, and some tropical-looking landscape.

_Leah, why is she thinking about you? What's going on with that_? Sam stood, his legs spread, near Rachel's despondent form, but he turned to look at Leah in front of the porch. He was grasping at straws, but maybe it would help since Rachel wasn't speaking to them.

Leah dipped her head, sighed breathily, and peered up at Sam. _She was going to leave … like Jacob did. She was—_

_Going to leave with Rebecca?_ Jared's mouth fell open. He couldn't imagine ever leaving Kim behind. _But she can't! She's imprinted! _

_Leave? How could she leave?_ Quil shifted nervously from foot to foot. Claire was the most precious little girl in the world. He looked forward to seeing her grow and change every day. He loved how she delighted in the simplest things like leaves and rocks.

Paul moaned as if he was in pain and rolled to his side.

Leah barked loudly to get their attention. _Rachel's trapped here now like the rest of us! Rebecca is the only one who _**can**_ leave. She has a husband and a baby on the way. She has a life far away from this supernatural bullshit. She should leave now before it gets any worse. At least Paul will have Rachel._ Leah finished forlornly, her head falling to stare at the ground.

Collin and Brady tiptoed further into the light from the porch, anxiously dipping their heads as they eyed their wolf brothers, their sister, and their new sister. They didn't know what to think. All they knew was their entire pack was still reeling from Rachel imprinting on Paul and Paul's misery and jealousy at the thought his imprint was pregnant by another man.

Seth was in as much distress as the rest of them, but he saw their Chief raise his hand, so he poked Sam on his flank to get his attention.

"Sam. Please," Billy began, his eyes shining bright with tears. "Someone phase and tell me what's going on."

The man appeared ten years older as he drew his hand slowly down his face. He looked over his shoulder through the screen door at his daughter Rebecca. She had been sitting at the kitchen table, in the shadows, unsure of what to do. Her father had spent hours explaining the legends to her, telling her they were all people she had grown up with, but the gigantic wolves terrified her. All she could think was she wanted to be back home with her husband and away from the insanity.

"Becca, could you go in Jacob's room and grab some shorts? Bottom drawer in his dresser."

Rebecca sniffed, roughly brushed tears from her face, and ran from the room. She returned quickly with an arm-load of clothes. "Uh, Dad, there were only three pairs of shorts, and I remember …well, you said they'd all be naked, and I brought T-shirts, and—"

"It's okay, Becca." Billy turned his wheelchair toward the door. "Just toss them to me. Thank you."

Rebecca cautiously pushed open the screen door, tossed the clothes at her father and ducked back inside, letting the door bang against the frame.

Billy balled up a pair of shorts and threw them toward Sam.

Dreading having to talk to the tribe's chief and father of the newest female wolf, Sam reminded Rachel and Paul to stay where they were. Everyone else already knew to keep an eye on them. It would be so helpful if he could hear them when he was human.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

* * *

**Twin Souls**

•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.• 8 •._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•

Rebecca had stopped crying and was as enraged as her sister had been when she found out what happened.

"I don't _care_ about your mystical, magical wolf-love-at-first sight bullshit!" Rebecca had become so angry at what Sam had been telling her and her father, she had charged through the screen door and stood in the middle of the porch, her fists trembling at her sides. "I love my husband. I'm going to have our baby. _My_ baby! _Not_ one of your future wolf-men! This place _is_ cursed!"

Sam groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Rachel had said the same thing.

Seth had phased human with Sam and was standing beside him. "Rebecca, maybe if you got to know Paul a little bit?"

"Are you out of your mind!?" Rebecca shrieked. "I will not stay in this God forsaken place and have a litter of puppies with Paul just because you all say I should. I am _married_. Obviously, none of you assholes have any fucking idea what the hell that means. I love Solomon. He loves me. We have a life together. I am _not_ going to stay here and get to know Paul. And besides that, I don't _care_ if he looks twenty-five—he's fifteen years old!" She threw her hands up in the air.

"Sixteen," Seth mumbled as he flinched and took a few steps back.

"What-the-fuck-ever! It doesn't make any difference because I'm not staying." She bared her teeth at them and slapped her hands down on the rail of the porch. "Look at what happened to Rachel! She never wanted to come back and, according to _you_, Sam," Rebecca gestured wildly toward him, "now she's stuck here forever because she imprinted on Paul. What is up with that?"

Jared, Leah, and Embry had been stationed in front of the porch to protect Billy and Rebecca from an out-of-control, possessive Paul, but even they were backing away from Rebecca's fury.

"We don't know, Rebecca," Sam admitted. "Maybe because you're identical twins? The legends don't say anything about that."

"Well, your legends suck!"

"Becca," Billy said soothingly as he reached for her hand. "You need to calm down. Please. The legends are all we have, and we're proud of our Spirit Warriors and the—"

Rebecca snatched her hand away. "Don't even try to feed me that shit. I know what you're going to say because you tried to pull that on me and Rachel when we left. I do not have an obligation and responsibility to my tribe. This place is cursed! Our mother was killed when we were kids, you've ended up in a wheelchair, and your beloved son, the next Chief of the Quileute Tribe, is off running around as a dog in the wilds of Canada, having a temper tantrum of epic proportions, because some stupid girl won't be his girlfriend, and he didn't get his way and imprint on her. Maybe she's better off."

The wolves and humans all gasped in shock at her last statement.

"Rebecca, you don't mean that. She's Charlie's only daughter, and she's going to marry one of those undead—"

"I. Don't. _Care_." Rebecca's dark eyes flashed with anger as she enunciated each word. "If they bother you so much, why don't you go and kill them all?"

Sam's head snapped up. "We can't. We have a treaty with them—"

"You know what I think of your treaty? You can shove that treaty up your furry asses! Just like every other one, you've been screwed and you know it! Well, you're not screwing me." Rebecca was pacing back and forth across the porch. "All of you have been poisoned by this Cold One legend crap and you got Rachel, too. You're not going to get me or my baby." She stopped jerkily and slapped her hands down on the rail again. "Rach, if you ever manage to get back to your human self you can come stay with me and Sol until you get on your feet. Maybe Hawaii is far enough away. I'm leaving." She whirled away from them and stepped toward the door.

"You can't leave!" Sam shouted.

"Your plane doesn't leave until the day after tomorrow. Where will you stay?" Billy rolled his chair toward her. "But you can't leave."

At his imprint's words, Paul started howling. Because he was so distressed, Rachel whimpered and crept along the ground toward him, fighting the Alpha's order to get to her inconsolable imprint.

"You can't stop me, Dad, Sam, unless you're going to kidnap me and tie me up. Explain _that_ to the police when my husband files a missing persons report. Rach, you're my twin, and I love you. I'm sorry to be leaving you like this, but you know, better than anyone, I have to get out of here. Call me when you can speak human again. Well, if you want to." She fled into the house.

Everyone was absolutely dumbfounded by Rebecca's vehement announcement. Sam almost went to stop her, but halted halfway to the house. She was right. There really was nothing he could do to make her stay short of imprisoning her. All he had been concerned about was what he could do for his wolves—his pack. Had they all gone insane? He couldn't kidnap the woman and force her to stay against her will.

They heard the front door crash open and Rebecca storm out of the house.

When the engine of her little sub-compact started, Jared whined at Sam.

"No. We can't kidnap her. She wants to leave." Sam's hands raked through his hair. "We can't force her to stay and accept the imprint. We can't—"

"Sam!" Seth grabbed his arm and pointed at Paul.

Rachel had reached the moaning silver wolf and had placed one paw on his front leg.

To know what they were saying, Sam ignored Billy and stripped off the borrowed shorts. He willed himself to become his wolf again and saw immediately that Paul was in no danger from Rachel.

_Rachel. Rachel, she left. She left me._ Paul howled again and he flopped bonelessly to the ground, his entire body displaying his utter dejection.

Rachel cocked her head and gazed mournfully down at him, her eyes a shining, liquid honey. _I know, Paul. I know. I'm so sorry._ Rachel placed her paw on his shoulder and then eased down beside him, resting her head over his, hugging him the best that she could. _She … she loves her husband. I wanted to leave with her, but I'm staying. For you. I won't leave you, Paul._

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	9. Chapter 9 epilogue

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. And my husband wishes I could make money off this.

**A/N:** It was made so much better by my prereader happyghost. I sure hope you all have enjoyed this.

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**Twin Souls**

•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.• epilogue •._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•

Paul drained the bottle of water, tossed it to the ground, and wiped the sweat from his face with a bandana. He and Rachel had finally gotten enough money together to buy the materials to replace the roof on his little house. He didn't mind furnishing the labor to save as much money as possible. Steel roofs were expensive, but he wanted something that would last.

He didn't even mind sweating like a horse. Much. It was cloudy, it wasn't raining, and there was a good breeze.

He was grateful to the guys for helping him, and they were all learning a lot from Sam. When it was time to replace a roof on the next house, Paul would be right there with the know-how to help them.

"I really like the grey," Rachel called from the front yard. "It looks good with the dark red shutters we put up."

"Grey for me, red for you." Paul winked at her.

"Do any of you need more water?"

Sam yelled from the back of the house, "Lunch in twenty. Emily's bringing over some stuff."

"It's only ten o'clock!" Rachel said, laughing.

Leah peered over the peak. "We started at five! Besides, I'm starving."

Rachel sighed and shook her head. "I sure know how _that_ is. Paul, do you want a snack? Paul? What's the matter?"

He was staring down the gravel driveway toward the road, disbelief written all over his face. He dropped his drill and it slid down the corrugated metal, skittered along the porch roof, and tipped over the edge. He didn't even notice that Rachel had caught it.

He was gaping at the woman walking up his driveway. She was as beautiful as he remembered. Her long black hair was shiny and full. It fell over her shoulders like waves of satin. She was a bit heavier than she had been the last time he'd seen her, but that had been a year ago, and she did just have a baby three months before.

Paul scrubbed at his eyes with his fists. He had thought he'd never see her again. He didn't know what to think. He shoved his bandana in his pocket and jumped off the roof, landing next to a stunned Rachel.

Jared came around the side of the house, carrying another long sheet of metal for the roof and nearly dropped it when he saw who was walking up the driveway. "Hey, Sam! Leah! Rebecca's here. She brought the baby!"

With her head hung low, Rebecca walked hesitantly toward her sister and Paul, hugging her sleeping daughter to her chest.

"Bec, why didn't you tell us you were coming to visit? We would have picked you up at the airport." Rachel looked into her twin's eyes. "What's wrong? Is Sara sick? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Sara's not sick. She's perfect." Tears spilled over her cheeks as she kissed her baby's forehead. "She's beautiful and perfect, and …" Her voice faded out, unable to force any more words through the tight knot in her throat.

Rachel jabbed the speechless Paul in the ribs with her elbow. "Paul! Go get a blanket out of the linen closet. We're going to go sit under that tree over there."

Before the two young women reached the tree, Paul was back with two patchwork quilts, a pillow, a box of tissues, and three bottles of water. He spread out one quilt and made a little nest with the other for the sleeping baby. "If you want to put her down, I made a … But if you want to hold her, I, uh … I brought a pillow," he stammered. "If you want to … to hold her, you can rest your arms on it. And I brought you Kleenex and some water, in case you're thirsty, and—"

"Paul! Take the diaper bag." Rachel lifted the straps from her sister's shoulder and handed the bag to him, and then she helped the young mother sit down. She adjusted the pillow on her lap and dropped down beside her. "Sit, Paul." Exasperated with him, she rolled her eyes and turned back to her sister. "Becca, she is _so_ beautiful. She's got the sweetest little face. The pictures you emailed just don't do her justice," Rachel cooed as she reached to touch baby Sara's head. "Her hair is as soft as silk." Rachel sighed and tilted her head to look in her sister's tear-filled eyes. "Now tell me what's wrong."

Paul cleared his throat. "Uh, how long are you going to be here?" Was she only going to be there for a short time? He frantically hoped she would be there for more than a short visit.

"Paul!" Rachel smacked him on the arm. "She can stay as long as she likes." She widened her eyes at him, showed him her teeth, and then put a pleasant smile on her face before turning back to her distraught sister. "Now, what's going on?"

Rachel noticed that Sam had corralled Leah and Jared and herded them into the house. When Emily's little blue car came bumping up the driveway, Sam darted out of the house to meet her and help her carry stuff inside. Her eyes were full of questions, but Sam directed her into the house and quietly closed the door.

"You got a tattoo?" Rebecca asked weakly as she sniffled.

Narrowing her eyes at Paul's smirk, Rachel sighed and huffed loudly. "Yeah. I got the stupid tattoo." She pushed up her sleeve and looked down her arm. "It's not so bad. I guess. Now … about you?"

Rebecca dabbed at her eyes and wiped her nose. "Well, the best thing to do …" She sniffed again. "The best thing is to just spill it." She took in a deep breath, trying to gather some strength. "When I got back home last year, I told Sol I was pregnant because he didn't know I was pregnant yet … and … and I told him everything." Her eyes flicked up to Paul and dropped again. "Well, everything except for the imprinting. I didn't tell him about that." She dabbed at her tears again and brushed her hair out of her face. "He didn't seem real happy about the pregnancy—we hadn't planned it, but I thought he would come around. The stuff about the wolves kind of blew his mind. He thought Cold Ones were vampires or zombies. He heard a few of the legends when … when we were dating."

Rachel reached over and rubbed her arm to give her as much encouragement as she could.

"Well, then the bigger I got, the more he seemed to pull away, but I thought maybe it was just me being sensitive with the hormones, but it wasn't that." Rebecca pulled another tissue from the box. "Like I told you, Rach, he was in the delivery room with me, and I thought once he saw her things would be different, but they weren't." She swallowed thickly. "He kept looking at her like she was … like there was something wrong with her and there's not! She perfect and beautiful, and so sweet and …" She burst into tears again.

Without thinking, Paul shifted until he was next to Rebecca and put his arm around her, tucking her head under his chin. "She _is_ beautiful, Rebecca. She's the prettiest baby I've ever seen. It was a great idea to name her after your mother. Sara Christina is a … is a beautiful name." Paul ran his fingertips over Sara's wispy hair. "Her hair is as pretty as yours and Rachel's. She's beautiful."

Rachel grabbed a few more tissues and handed them to Rebecca before wiping the tears from her own eyes. "Did he kick you out? I'll get on the next plane and kill him."

"Get in line." Paul's voice was a low rumble.

"No!" Rebecca wailed. "I left, but—"

Rachel told hold of her sister's hand. "You did the right thing. Nothing is more important than that precious little girl. You and Sara are staying with us. I'll clean my stuff out of my room and—"

"No, Rach," Paul said insistently. "They should have my room—it's bigger. I don't have a problem with sleeping on the couch. You know I can sleep anywhere."

"No shit. He can fall asleep leaning in a corner." Rachel grumbled.

Rebecca blew her nose and peeked up at them both. "You have separate rooms? You don't share? I thought …"

"Uh, no." Paul answered her, looking uncomfortable. "We don't … I mean, we're not … uh, we never—"

"Paul—eloquent as ever. What he's trying to stutter out is we are not together. We are _not_ a couple. We haven't ever been, and that's the way we want it." Rachel leaned into her twin, wrapped her arm around her back, and patted Paul on his side. "We decided to live together because we're both wolves and sometimes we have different shifts. Things can get a little crazy. But we won't disturb the baby!" she quickly added to reassure her sister. "It's an arrangement that works well for us. We've been fixing up the house bit by bit and …" Her voice trailed away. Then she looked up at Paul. "I guess we'll _really_ have to add that room and another bathroom, instead of just talking about it."

"We will." Paul nodded at Rachel and then gently placed a finger under Rebecca's chin and raised her face to look into her eyes. "I would _love_ to have you and your daughter in my house. I'll help you take care of her."

Rachel raised one eyebrow. "_We_ will help you take care of her. Paul and I have become really close, but you know I've been closer to you than anyone. No one means as much to me as you do. I'm _so_ glad you came to us." Rachel pressed her lips together and then gave her sister a little smile. "Have you been to see Dad?"

"No, I came here first," Rebecca said with a hiccup. "But after everything I said last year … I was such a bitch."

"It doesn't matter." Rachel leaned into her sister again. "_Believe_ me. We've all been there. We've all said a few things in the … _heat_ of the moment. You got a rental car, right? Where is it?"

"I left the car—"

"We'll get the car for you." Paul couldn't resist tightening his hold around her. "Are Sara's things in it?"

"A few. I shipped some things, and they should show up at Dad's, but—" Tears began rolling down her face again. "Thank you so much! I didn't know what we were going to do! I couldn't afford to ship her furniture from Hawaii, and the plane tickets were so expensive, and Sol's barely making it with the surf shop—we could barely pay our own bills, and—"

Paul slid his hand along Rebecca's jaw and cheek and gazed into her eyes with determination. "I don't give a flying fuck about Sol. We'll work on getting you and Sara whatever you need." He held her head to his chest, running his fingers through her hair, feeling content for what felt like the first time in his life. "We have a lot of news to catch up on, but it can wait. We need to get you settled." He turned to the house. "Sam! Get the boys over here to clean out my room. See if anybody has a crib and a couple dressers they don't need. Have one of the guys drive Rebecca's car up here."

"It'll have to go back—" Rebecca began.

"We'll take care of it," Paul said against her hair. "Don't worry."

Sam came running out of the house, his face beaming. "Yes, sir, Mr. Lahote, sir!" he said with a salute. "I'll get the car. The rest of them are already on their way. Jacob and Billy will be here soon."

With all the loud voices around her, Sara began squirming in her mother's arm and let out an annoyed wail.

"Shhh, Sara, it's okay," Rebecca crooned to her, lifting the baby to her shoulder. "It's okay. You've been such a good girl." She suddenly clutched the fussy infant to her chest and cried, "It's okay, Sara. Everything is going to be okay."

"Everything _will_ be okay now," Paul said with conviction. He ran his fingertips down over Sara's little head and back and patted her, marveling at how tiny she was. "Here, let me see my pretty little girl."

•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.• the end •._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•´¯`•._.•


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